Potential
by acemaclove88
Summary: Kate is Jack's surgical intern. The island never happened...thats not to say it wont though ; Obviously Kate has it bad for our heroic doctor...how does she worm her way into his heart? wrote it on a whim, so tell me what you think!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Manners

* * *

"Okay so how about you take sutchers on the hand I'll go inform Brody about the intestine boy" Kate said to her co-worker Kyle

Chapter 1: Manners

"Okay so how about you take sutures on the hand I'll go inform Brody about the intestine boy" Kate said to her co-worker Kyle as they looked at a couple x-rays

Kyle raised an eyebrow and smirked "no"

"Okay…why not?" she asked confused

"I can't believe you're giving up sutures for being someone's messenger" he said amused "You just want a reason to talk to Shepard"

Kate's jaw dropped "Excuse me!" she exclaimed and followed him when he started walking out the door "I do not need a reason to talk to Shepard! If I wanna talk to Shepard, I'll go talk to-" the phrase died on her lips as soon as she saw the very man she had been talking about walk out of the OR.

"Sorry?" The tall dark man said in confusion. It was no secret that Kate had a thing for jack, in fact, it was no secret that half the hospital had it for Jack. He was gorgeous, tall, short cropped hair and a smile that had every girl fall to her knees.

"Huh" Kate huffed dumbly in response, ignoring her co-worker who was trying in vein not to laugh hysterically at her situation

"I heard you say you needed to talk to me" Jack said, taking off his mask

"Uh…I" Kate stuttered "I don-"

"The guy with the intestines Kate" Kyle rolled his eyes

"Right" Kate said shaking her head and read off some stats to him about how he was doing in surgery.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked confused "You seem…distracted"

"Yeah I'm fine" Kate said, swallowing thickly "Just tired"

Nodding he lifted his mask again "Keep me informed" he said before going back into the OR.

"Good job Kate" Kyle teased

"Shut up" she grumbled

"You were like a bumbling idiot."

"Didn't I say shut up?"

"Hey" they heard a voice said in exasperation "you two have some time on your hands?"

Kate turned to see who the voice belonged to and froze "Yeah" she said immediately seeing it was Jack

"Great, one of you get in here" he ordered

"I'll-"Kyle started, the words dying on his lips when he saw Kate grab a mask and rush in

"I got it from here Adam" Jack said walking back in with Kate "You can take Dr. Shea and check on the other patient"

"If you're going to be a surgeon, you need to learn how to hold a clamp" Jack stated, staring at her intently as her hand shook while holding a clamp inside a mans body. Kate's head shot up and she nodded, willing herself to stop.

"Better" she heard him chuckle as he reached for another instrument. Kate could literally feel her entire face heating up, for once in her life, she loved the surgical masks.

"Suction" She heard him say

"I can't do suction" She heard a nurse say in a terrified voice. Jack sighed and stared at Kate, silently telling her to do it. Kate nodded and took a hold of the tube from the nurse's hands and did as she was told.

"Tell me why you can't do suction again" Jack said as he concentrated on what he was doing

The nurses eyes widened "I uhm…I'm new"

"And that's an excuse?" he raised an eyebrow "How long have you been working here?" he asked, chuckling when he saw her fearful face "Relax" he said "I just wanted to know…"

"About 2 weeks" She answered

"It's about time you learned how to do some things right?" he asked convincingly "Dr. Austen, go ahead and hand it over to her" he said "Help her if she slips" he added

Kate nodded and very gently let her take hold of the tube that was suctioning excess blood and fluid up "Not too tight." She said "kind of like a pencil"

"So you can talk" Jack said in amusement "I always seem to catch you at a bad time" he added at her confused glance. "And we're back to not talking" he laughed to himself

"No sorry" Kate sighed "You're a little intense" she admitted, not believing the words that came out of her mouth

Jack chuckled "Yeah, I've gotten that before"

"Whose intern are you again?" he asked Kate

"Actually…I'm yours" she answered somewhat disappointed he hadn't realized

Jack looked up from what he was doing, amusement evident in his eyes "I know that Kate" he said barely stifling a chuckle "I was being sarcastic because you've barely said 3 sentences to me"

"Oh" Kate said quietly, prepaying to god that she wasn't blushing

"You think you got hold of the suction there?" he asked the new nurse who nodded in response

"Good" he stated "now go ahead and take the clamp from Kate"

Once she successfully handed the clamp over, she looked at him expectantly.

"Come around here" he told her "I might even let you do a couple things" he added

Kate stepped around the table giddily until she was standing next to him, watching in fascination as he worked. "See" jack started "let me hear your voice a little and you might get to see the coolest thing next to a stand still" he chuckled

"You're doing a stand still" Kate stated immediately

He looked over and raised an eyebrow "I've done one stand still" he stated "And I have one scheduled for tomorrow"

Kate looked at him longingly, her eyes wide and pleading with him to let her scrub in on the surgery.

Jack chuckled "Is there something you'd like to ask me?"

"No" She mumbled, turning her attention back at the surgery at hand

Jack rolled his eyes "You really have to speak up a little…people aren't just going to hand things to you"

"Too much" Kate shook her head at the nurse who was still holding the suction and clamp "You're compressing the organ."

"Sorry" she said nervously

"Fine. Can I scrub in on the stand still" she said sweetly, taking Jacks advice

Jack smirked and nodded "since you're the first to ask"

"Thank you! I would hug you but well…yeah" she finished feeling a little more comfortable around him

"Well that was rather unprofessional" jack said in a serious tone

Kate froze "I-I…sorry"

"I was just joking" he said amused

"Whatever" he heard her mutter in annoyance before he took a large piece of tumor out

"It looks like its spread" Kate said, examining the area he had just opened up

Jack shook his head "Lab results say otherwise"

"Well maybe they were wrong" Kate stated making him smile

"You're getting the hang of it" he laughed

"Do you always screw with your interns like this" she demanded

"You know, if you would shut up for more than 2 seconds I could let you actually do something"

Kate immediately shut her mouth and stared at him with a small smile "I'm waiting…"

"Well keep waiting" he said in the same tone "until I get this thing out you can stand there holding the tray"

Rolling her eyes she nodded "what a treasure trove"

"You think you can manage to close?" he asked

Kate nodded "Definitely" she said stepping forward and taking some materials from the tray.

Jack watched in amusement at how concentrated she was. Her tongue was protruding the corner of her mouth and her eyes were so focused, it made him want to laugh out loud.

"Are you going to hover over my shoulder like that?" Kate asked nervously after a few minutes, realizing he was watching her intently

He nodded "I can't leave until you're done." He said with a shrug

"I can close you know…" she huffed

"I'm sure you can" he chuckled "But like I said, you're an intern, and I have to watch you" he finished just as the patients blood pressure began to drop. Immediately he was at her side "What did you do?" he asked

"I didn't do anything" she stated calmly while searching the cavity for anything that might have gone wrong. Hell she hadn't even started yet… "He's hemmoredging" she said

"I need another pair of hands over here" he demanded to the nurse who was standing here. She nodded and reached over the table, doing what she was told. "Forceps" he stated to her and waiting until she handed them to him before trying to stop the bleeding.

"Dammit" he cursed to himself as he saw how deep the bleeding was and closed his eyes, sighing when his heart flat lined from the trauma. "Push one of epi" he said, still working on the man

"No change" he nurse said

"Push another" he ordered still trying to find the source "Kate I need you to hold this…don't move it, don't even flinch" he ordered knowing they were working with a very delicate procedure. One flinch and he could be paralyzed for life.

Kate nodded and desperately tried to hold still as he used gauze and whatever else he could to mop up all the blood that was pooling inside.

"Still no change" the nurse replied. Jack sighed and told Kate to let go "time of death" he paused "7:41 pm"

* * *

"Jane, can you page Kate Austen for me please?" he asked his assistant while sitting in his office going over some paperwork

"Sure thing Dr. Shepard"

"How many times do I have to say "it's Jack" he said exasperated before hanging up

A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door "Come in" he said

"Hi" Kate said quietly, looking physically exhausted and drained "You paged me?" she asked, walking into the large office

Jack nodded and motioned for her to take a seat "Just wanted to see how you were holding up" he said, shaking his head when he saw her puffy eyes

Kate sat down slowly, taking a deep breath "I'm fine" she said softly

"He was old Kate" Jack said "almost 70 years old…his heart gave out. It was no ones fault"

"I know" she responded "It's just weird you know? I mean…the surgery, it was successful" she sighed

"Things go wrong. Complications arise" he responded "I know this is a first for you. But there's going to be more…a lot more. And we as doctors have to learn to deal with it. If I let myself feel for every patient that's died on my operating table, I'd be in a mental institute right now"

Kate nodded "I know. I just need to think a little"

"So I'll see you bright and early tomorrow?" he asked

She nodded "Bye Dr. Shepard" She said

"It's Jack!" he exclaimed in annoyance while she was leaving

* * *

"Hi Dr.-Jack" she clarified when she saw him throw her an annoyed glare

"Finally someone gets it right" he muttered before greeting her back and handing her a few charts "you're on clinic today"

Kate narrowed her eyes at him "Stand still" she stated

"It's at 4. Until then, you're in the clinic." He answered

"Such a gentleman" Kate mumbled under her breath and made her way down to the clinic

Sighing, she read the chart for her first patient before knocking on the door and swinging it open "Hi, I'm Dr. Austen-wait……Christi?" she asked in disbelief, walking in and closing the door behind her

"Hi" he young woman who couldn't be in older than 30 replied

"What are you doing here!" she asked in concern. Christi was one of her best friends in med school, and they still kept in contact every now and then

"I thought you had that in your chart" she chuckled before standing up and giving her a hug "It's good to see you Kate. And before you ask, I'm here because I'm in town for my husband, but I don't want to shake this off any longer. I have a feeling I know what it is…but I'd like clarification"

"You're here about severe neck pain, and back pain right?" Kate asked sitting down in the chair across from her

The blonde nodded "yes, I've had neck pain for about 3 years now and I have no idea what's causing it"

"Any headaches, nausea, and dizziness?" she asked

"Headaches…they feel more like migraines actually"

"Migraines huh? You get nauseous, sensitive to light and sound, blurry vision?"

"I'm sensitive to light and sound and I have some blurry vision but not usually nauseous" Christi responded

"Okay" Kate nodded, writing a few notes in her chart "Any numbness in your fingers or toes, like pins and needles?" she asked

The blonde hesitantly nodded "in my fingers most of the time…"

Kate sighed "Okay. I'm going to go ahead and recommend you for an MRI so we can see what's going on in there" she said "Take this to reception and they'll make you an appointment"

* * *

"Dr. Austen, I have the results from the MRI we took earlier today" a nurse said coming up to her a few hours later while she was eating lunch

"You mean the one from the clinic?" she asked confused, taking the folder from her "You already scheduled one today?"

She nodded "Yea, and from what the radiologist said, it looks serious"

"Thanks" She said, opening the folder and sighing at what she saw. It was a tumor, along her spine…and from what she could tell it was large. "Wait" she said to the nurse who was now walking away "Is she still here?"

She nodded "Should be in the waiting room, her husband is in the clinic I believe"

"Hi again" Kate said, finding her sitting impatiently in the waiting room

Christi jumped startled at first but relaxed seeing it was just the Kate "Hi" she said with a smile

"I got your results back" Kate said, sitting down in a chair across from hers

"Already? That was quick" The woman said impressed

Kate laughed "you know better than to get used to that" What we found was a large tumor growing on her spine" she said apologetically

"I knew it" Christi said with a deep sigh

"I want to refer you to a specialist" Kate said "Jack Shepard"

"Yeah" she scoffed "Because I can get an appointment with him"

Kate laughed smacking her on the shoulder lightly "I'm his intern. I'll give it a try alright? In the mean time why don't you go tell Kyle…I'm sure he's going to be more worried than you are"

She nodded "Thanks Kate. But if Jack does take me on, I'll have to stay here…and I can't quit my job. You know how much I love working in Seattle"

"He's the best Chris…" Kate said softly "Let's take this one day at a time alright? Promise me you'll stay at least for the week" she demanded

Christi nodded "Promise" She said quietly

"And you're staying with me"

"I know" She laughed

* * *

"Jack" Kate called out at around 3 o clock as she entered his office

"Hmm" He hummed not looking up from the papers he was going over

"I have a favor to ask" She said, coming to stand in front of his desk

Jack finally looked up at her and waiting in question "What is it?"

She slipped Christi's chart into his hands and watched patiently as he studied it "She has a tumor" he said simply, looking back up at Kate "What did you need?"

"I was wondering if you would see her" she said nervously

"Kate…" he said shaking his head "I'm not taking on any new patients right now"

"I'm asking as a favor. She's a good friend of mine…" Kate pleaded "_Please_"

Jack sighed and opened her file again, studying it more closely "It's on the L-4 and it looks too large to operate"

"Its borderline inoperable" Kate nodded

Taking a few moments to think he nodded "Okay" he said finally making her grin "Ask Jane for my schedule and go ahead and book a consult"

"Thank you!" Kate exclaimed

"I also want a full work up" he said "What are you doing?" he asked when she sat down

"Sitting" she said confused

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to sit down"

"Don't you have things to do?"

"Nope. I'm just waiting for the stand still…" she said with a smile "you ready for it?"

He nodded "Spent the entire day practicing with the team" he said "We should be okay"

"So do you have any other interns?" Kate asked

Jack shook his head "No" he said simply "Hey you wanna go get me some coffee?"

Kate scowled "I'm your intern. Not your slave" she stated sweetly

Jack chuckled "That's why I don't have any more interns…and you know if you talked to any other resident that way you'd be fired right?"

"No but seriously. Do you really want coffee?" she asked with a sigh

He rose an eyebrow at her "Is that even a question?"

"I'll get it…only cuz I'm so nice" she muttered

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? This was completely out of nowhere…so let me know if you think I should continue!


	2. Chapter 2: What's a Sawyer?

Chapter 2: What's a Sawyer?

* * *

"So, was it everything you expected?" Jack asked, glancing over at Kate as they scrubbed out of the stand still surgery they had just been in.

Kate grinned and nodded "it was amazing. Thank you"

"Of course" he said, shutting off the water after making sure he was thoroughly clean. "Hope you learned something Dr. Austen" he stated before going on his way.

Kate smiled before realizing she probably had the same goofy look she always had on her face when she thought about him. _Idiot_ she muttered to herself and tried to frown a little.

* * *

"Dr. Austen is going to go ahead and put in a central line. It makes it easier for us to administer medication without poking or prodding too much, and this way it's delivered directly." Jack explained to a patient of his

Kate's eyes widened _she _was doing a central line? She had never done a central line. _Okay, don't look scared…patients get scared when the doctor looks scared right? Yeah_ she took a deep breath _look confident_

"Is she okay?" the patient asked Jack

Jack looked behind him at a Kate who was sheet pale and trying in vain to concentrate on looking confident. "She's fine. We'll be back in a few minutes with everything" he said with a smile

"Dr. Austen" he called out when she didn't follow behind him. Kate snapped out of her reverie and scurried behind him until they reached his office

"What's wrong?" he asked raising an eyebrow

"Nothing…I uh" she stuttered

"You've never done a central line" he provided for her

"Yeah" She nodded

"You have to learn some time" he said simply "And Walter lloba is the perfect way to learn. The man is a fucking saint" He muttered

"What do you mean?" she asked, a slight smile gracing her lips

"What I mean is that he's been a pin cushion for half the interns in this hospital, and he hasn't uttered a word of complaint" he stated "So don't worry. Just…focus, and do your best."

Kate nodded "Alright. I'll go get everything ready. Will you be there?" she asked

"Page me when you have everything together" he said

* * *

_This will be good_ she told herself _her first real procedure…_Her patient was in his early fifties, and was recovering from abdominal surgery. His bodily functions hadn't returned, leaving him unable to eat. Jack had explained to him that he needed a central line that would go into his chest.

Kate ran to the supply rooms and got everything ready. She had watched Jack do central lines before. Watched how he set out all her instruments in a neat manner, he always put a rolled towel between their shoulder blades to arch their chest out. She watched time and time again as he pierced the patient's vena cava, which is the main blood vessel to his heart, with an eight inch long tube……and the patient never even flinched. He had mastered the tricky procedure, and now it was her turn.

Taking a deep breath she walked into the patient's room, greeted him with a small smile and began laying out her instruments. As she did, she thought about what Jack had told her.

"_Avoid hitting the lungs by going in at a steep angle; stay right under the clavicle"_ He told her before she had left his office _"Find the subclavian vein. Remember if the syringe fills with bright red, you know you've hit an artery. That's not good_" he stated

Kate sighed when she found she had everything laid out and paged Jack before she lost her nerve. Kate untied the patient's gown behind his neck, and laid him down flat on the mattress, with his chest bare and his arms at his sides. She flipped on the fluorescent overhead light and raised his bed to her height. At that moment, Jack arrived. Kate quickly put on her gloves and mask. Taking a deep breath, and trying not to appear nervous as Jack stood on the other side of the patient watching her every move, she drew up five cc's of lidocaine in a syringe, soaked two sponge sticks in the brown antiseptic solution and opened the packaging on the instruments.

"What's the platelet count" Jack asked

Kate's stomach flipped. She hadn't checked…that was bad. She quickly went to check the computer, sighing in relief as it was acceptable.

"Did you get the roll between his shoulders?" He asked just ask Kate was about to begin swabbing his chest with the sponge sticks.

Kate panicked again, she had forgotten. The patient, to her surprise merely smiled "Bad day huh?" he said cheerily. A little creeped out, she watched as Jack silently got a towel and slipped it under his back.

Kate now took a deep breath as Jack told her to go ahead and begin. She had finished applying the antiseptic. "Where's the extra syringe for flushing the line when it's in?" Jack asked calmly as he inspected her tray

_Damn_ Kate thought to herself. She now wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Jack quickly paged a nurse to bring it to him and again gave her the go ahead. Kate felt the patient's chest for the right place, prodding with her fingers; she thought she had found it. _Here?_ She pleaded with her eyes for him to tell her. To her surprise he nodded silently.

She picked the first syringe off the tray and numbed the spot with lidocaine. "You'll feel a slight pinch and a burn now sir" Kate said shakily, cursing as he voice shook

She next took the tree-inch needle in hand and poked it through the skin. Slowly and uncertainly, she concentrated as she only advanced it a few millimeter's at a time, afraid to plunge into something. She concentrated on maintaining a steep angle of entry, but kept spearing his clavicle instead of slipping beneath it.

"Mmmm" the patient moaned in pain

"Sorry" Kate said

"It's alright" he answered making Jack almost roll his eyes. _How was anyone that nice?_

Jack signaled for her to go beneath the clavicle and she did. She drew back on the syringe, nothing. "Deeper" Jack said and that word alone almost made her freeze. _No…I can't be thinking of that right now! I have a 3 inch needle in a patient's chest!_ She chided herself. Kate went in deeper and still nothing. She took the needle out and tried again.

"Ow" the patient admitted finally

Trying again, she still didn't succeed…utterly embarrassed and feeling inept, she looked at Jack for the next move.

"How about I see what's going on" he offered, shooting her an encouraging smile and a wink as he switched places with her. He put on a gown and a pair of gloves before taking the needle from the tray. Kate watched as he effortlessly plunged the needle in, drew back on the syringe, and, just like that, he was in.

"You'll get it Kate. It just takes practice" he said once they walked out of the room.

"Yeah…" She said utterly defeated.

"Hey" he said trying to get her attention "Come on"

He led her to his office and motioned for her to sit down on his couch as he did the same next to her. "You'll get it…and next time you can be less tentative. Which helps, trust me"

"Yeah" she said looking down, not really believing the word that came out of her mouth

"I wasn't always so amazing at it…putting in a central line is a tricky procedure…and despite how common, its nerve wracking. One wrong move and you could puncture a lung" He said as an example. "Just keep practicing."

Kate laughed breathily "I guess next time I'll probably get a normal patient? One that _does_ mind if I puncture his lung" she joked

"It's not natural" Jack said with a small smile

"I know!" she exclaimed "I had a 3 inch long needle in him and he goes 'it's alright?'"

He shrugged "Some people are just nice…"

"_Nice_?" she asked incredulously "He was the epitome of a teletubby"

"Get back to work Dr. Austen…you're making your attending look bad" he said with a small smile as he stood up

"Thanks"

* * *

"Sawyer" Kate seethed as she swung the door open to her apartment later that night

"Well hey there Freckles" The southerner greeted with his animated smile

"What do you want" she stated none too kindly

"Now don't get your panties all in a bunch baby. I just want to hang out" he said, letting himself in

"Get out" Kate stated immediately stepping away from him as he inched closer to her

Giving her a crooked smile, he shut the door and snapped the lock shut "Now Freckles…what fun would that be?" he smirked

* * *

"_Hello_" _She answered sleepily the next morning_

"Dr. Austen." Jack stated seriously "Its 11"

_Kate's eyes widened as she jumped out of bed, immediately regretting it as she did as her sore limbs protested. "I'm sorry. I must have overslept" she said quickly_

"Oh yeah. Don't worry…just get here when you can" He said sarcastically and hung up

Kate sighed as she set down her phone and walked into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She winced as she saw a few small bruises on her face and a large one covering her left eye. Her arm was spotted in dry blood and her naked torso was covered in bruises. She quickly hopped into the shower, almost screaming at the burning sensation the hot water supplied. After she found a long sleeved shirt and made sure her makeup covered her bruises well enough before running to her car.

"I'm so sorry" Kate said sincerely, walking into Jacks office almost 45 minutes later

"I don't need sorry" Jack said with a sigh "Is something wrong?"

"No" Kate lied "I just overslept. It won't happen again"

Jack eyed her curiously. He knew something was wrong. It was 92 degrees outside, and she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt underneath her scrubs. She also usually wore her hair up, and never wore that much make up to the hospital. Hell…she looked like a Barbie that had her makeup done by an eccentric 7 year old.

"Okay" he relented, making a mental note to keep a closer eye on her "Look over this chart, you'll be explaining the procedure to the patient in 20 minutes"

"Uh yeah. Okay" Kate stuttered as she slowly walked towards the door

"What's wrong with your leg?" Jack raised an eyebrow

"Nothing. Just slipped at home…sprained ankle" She lied again "I'll see you in 20"

* * *

The day was hell for Kate. Her legs were sore, her arms felt like they were on fire from rubbing up against the fabric and she felt like her face was caked with makeup.

"Did you need me for anything else?" She asked tiredly

"Sit" Jack absentmindedly said as he finished up charting for the day

Kate sat down and patiently waited for him to finish what he was doing.

"What's going on Kate" He asked, looking straight at her

"nothing-"

"You have a bruise the size of Texas on your face. Your arms haven't stopped shaking since this morning, and you're limping" he listed off.

Kate gingerly lifted a hand up to touch her bruised eye "I ju-"

"I don't want another lie." He said "Look. If there's something medically wrong with you you should get it checked out. And if it's not medical, I'm here to talk."

"I'm fine" She stressed

"Did someone do this to you?" he asked hesitantly

Kate immediately stood up "No. and I'd appreciate it if you would just stay out of it" she hissed, her embarrassment getting the better of her

"Okay. You're free to go" he sighed

* * *

"Kate?" Jack asked alarmed as he was making his way out of the hospital later that night and saw a very disoriented Kate stumbling in the doors

Kate looked up at him, immediately closing her eyes when she saw who it was. _Did he ever leave?_ She thought to herself. She just wanted someone she didn't know to look at her and check her out…Sawyer really did a number on her this time.

"Kate" Jack said again, holding out an arm to steady her as she almost fell to her knees "Talk to me. What happened" he said calmly as he walked her into the Emergency room

"Please. Just…I don't want to. Just help me" She pleaded, her lower lip trembling

"I need a bed!" Jack shouted "Okay. You need to tell me what the hell is going on Kate" He said seriously "I don't care who did this right now. I just need to know what happened"

"I should be fine. I just need some stitches and an IV" she argued weakly as she slowly walked to the bed they had given to her

"You're not fine" He said slightly annoyed "You're pale as a sheet, there's blood smeared all over you and and you can barely walk. So how about you spare me the excuses and just tell me"

"Kicked, punched." She muttered before passing out

Jack sighed "Clean her up" he told the nurses "And get me a suturing kit"

Jack finished her stitches and made her she was all cleaned up before scheduling a CT to make sure there was no internal damage. Her stomach was covered in black and blues, which worried him. "Keep a close eye on her. Don't let her leave and don't call the police just yet. Let's wait for her to wake up."

Jack didn't know how long he had been at the hospital. He didn't even know why he stayed..But something about her, something about what happened kept him there. He looked up from the book he was reading at around 4 in the morning when he heard a small noise coming from the wounded brunette.

Softly setting the book down him walked over to her bed and checked her vital signs, everything was normal.

"Jack?" She asked confused, so soft he could barely make it out

He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows "Glad to see you're awake." He stated without a smile

"What are you doing here?" she whispered as he throat cracked

"You don't remember stumbling into the hospital and passing out before we could even get you a decent bed?" he asked

Kate shook her head in the negative "No" She said

"Well you did" he said "and you should really keep some emergency contact…or at least update it. Is there anyone I should call?"

"No" Kate said pulling her bed into a sitting position "What time is it?"

"About 4 am" he said

"Aren't visiting hours over" she stated

"I'm guess they're not going to kick their best spinal surgeon out" he managed a small smile "You should be fine. I had to stitch you up in a couple places but other than that, no internal bleeding and just a few cuts and bruises"

"_You_ stitched me up?" she challenged

"Yeah" he said "ER was pretty busy."

"Well thanks"

"You're _not_ welcome. I don't ever want to see you in the ER again" he said seriously

"Yes _dad_" She mocked

"I'm serious. I practically had to carry you in the hospital. What happened Kate?"

Kate sighed. She owed him something right? I mean…he had stayed with her all night. "Sawyer happened"

"What's a Sawyer?" Jack asked confused

"An ex boyfriend from hell"

"Have you reported him?" Jack asked trying to remain calm

"It wouldn't help" Kate said softly "He has too many connections"

"I may sound like a broken record, but you can't just leave it how it is. You have to do something" he said

"I know. I don't know what to do. He wasn't supposed to find me" Kate groaned in pain

"Well he did. And honestly…I should call the police." He said

"Please don't" Kate pleaded "They won't help…he knows too many people."

"You can't go home if he's going to find you Kate" he sighed "Do you have any friends here? That he doesn't know?"

Kate shook her head "I'll be fine at home. Thanks for everything"

"You're coming with me" he sighed, not know what else to do. "Let me figure out your discharge and all that"

"No!" She exclaimed. How embarrassing was this? She was beat up by her ex boyfriend, and now Jack had to take care of her?

"Why not" he stated in question

Kate stuttered for a second before giving up. There was no real reason.

"Good" he said in response "Then I'll be right back. Don't go trying to run away or anything."

Kate rolled her eyes "_Yes Dr. Shepard_" she mocked

Jack frowned, muttering something under his breath while walking towards the reception desk.

"Okay let's go" he said coming back in a few minutes later

"That's it? Discharges take hours" She exclaimed

"Not when you work here" he countered

"Right." She said shortly "Can I at least have some clothes?"

"And how do you suppose we get those?" he asked "They're covered in dirt and blood"

"Can we stop by my place?" She asked

He shook his head "Absolutely not! You wont let me call the police, so you are definitely not going back to your house where psycho boyfriend could be running around with a knife!" he ranted

"I need clothes Jack" She said firmly, not liking to be treated like a child

"I have those"

"I need my clothes"

"Get over it" he grunted as he unhooked all her monitors.

"Your bedside manner needs work"

"So I'm told" he said dryly "Come on, I have to be at work at 8 tomorrow for a consult"

Now Kate felt guilty. The man was going to get like an hour of sleep because of her. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely

Jack's head snapped up at her tone and eyed her curiously "It's not your fault Kate" he said as if it were obvious. "Don't worry about it. I can function on a lot less"

Kate laughed "Life story" she agreed while swinging her legs over the bed. Kate saw the wheelchair Jack had placed in front of her; she lost her smile and glared in his direction "I can walk"

"Its protocol. You really want to fight me on this?" he asked seriously

"No" Kate sighed, too tired to care. She tried not to react to Jack when he was helping her out of bed, holding her arm gently yet firmly so she wouldn't fall.

"You alright?" he asked once she was safely in the wheelchair

Kate nodded "Yeah thanks"

"Don't even start." He interrupted when he saw she was about to protest. Kate shut her mouth and glared. How did he know her so well?

"So Katherine Anne Austen." He grinned when they were in the car "What's your story?"

"Don't call me Katherine" she groaned

"Alright Kat" he said with an innocent smile

"Don't call me anything but Kate" She bit out

"Don't call me Dr. Shepard" he retorted

"Deal" she agreed while he began wheeling her out towards the exit. "Wait here? I'll bring the car around…and don't go trying to run away or anything"

Kate rolled her eyes "My ankle is throbbing and I'm in a hospital gown. How far am I going to get before someone reports me and I find myself in the psych ward?"

"I wouldn't underestimate you" he muttered

* * *

"Nice place" Kate commented as they pulled up to a large mansion looking house.

Jack shrugged "It's too big"

Kate chuckled "wanna trade?" she was still living in an apartment which she could barely afford. The place was tiny, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and barely any other space at all. But being an intern didn't come cheap, and everyone had to start somewhere…right?

Jack grinned as he opened the door for her and helped her out. Her arm going around his shoulders for support as she tried not to put too much pressure on her sore ankle. "Here, sit tight. I'll be right back" he said, setting her down on the couch.

Kate nodded and looked around the elegantly decorated living room. The house was huge. _I guess that's what you make when you're a world renowned surgeon…not to mention chief of surgery_. She heard Jack close the door and lock it before coming back to her "you want anything? Some water…or anything to eat?"

"I'm starving" She blurted out, blushing afterwards. "I mean…if you have anything. If not that's fine"

Jack smirked "I'm no chef. In fact, I don't even eat here most of the time, so let me see what I have"

"No Jack…it's alright. You have to be up in less than 2 hours, why don't you get some sleep" she protested

"I cancelled my consult Kate." He chuckled "I don't think even _I_ could function on 2 hours of sleep for 3 days"

"Why didn't you sleep last night?" She asked curiously

"I was on call, and got called in" he said "now; can I go get your food?"

"Yes go"

* * *

"So I have the ability to make a mean grilled cheese, or its Mac and cheese for you" he said walking back into the living room. "Kate?" he called out when he received no response and found her staring at her cell phone in her hands which was ringing like crazy.

"Give me the phone" he stated, holding his hand out to her

Kate looked up at him in confusion "What?"

"Give me the phone. You're not talking to him. I don't even know why you're thinking about it"

"He'll just keep calling" she argued

"Do you want me to answer?" he asked

"No!" She exclaimed. Sawyer would kill her!

"Then just give it to me. I won't answer it Kate" he sighed "You don't need to be talking to him right now"

Nodding, Kate gently placed the ringing phone into his hand; watching as he switched it off and put it on the counter next to them. "Now. Grilled cheese or Mac and cheese?"

Kate laughed at his change of topic, but was grateful for it "Lets see those grilling skills"

* * *

"Not bad…I don't even think I can make a grilled cheese taste that good" She said impressed

Chuckling from the other end of the couch, he shrugged modestly "It's the only thing I can make other than mac and cheese"

"Well as long as you aren't starving" she joked, the end coming out mangled in a yawn

"Come on, lets find you some clothes" he sighed tiredly and stood up. He stood in front of her and helped her to her feet, supporting the weight on one arm and guiding her to the room she would be sleeping in. "Relax for a bit. I'll be back with some clothes"

Kate nodded and laid back on the bed "Thanks"

"Here" he said setting down a pair of shorts and one of his t-shirts down on the bed along with a towel, and a toothbrush.

Kate looked down and raised an eyebrow "You don't have anything smaller?"

"Sorry, I'm still working on my figure" he said sarcastically "They should fit fine"

She grinned, shaking her head but agreeing with him as she struggled to sit up on her own.

"Need help?" he asked stifling a laugh at her stubbornness.

"No" She shook her head and managed to sit up on her own.

"Don't even think you can change on your own" he chuckled

"I can" She scoffed

"Kate…" he warned and grabbed the shorts before she could "You really want to be injured for longer than you have to?"

He helped her into the pajamas and led her to the bathroom so she could get ready for bed. A few minutes later, he heard a tap on the door, telling him she was ready to go back.

"Goodnight Kate. There's an intercom above your head and to the right if you need anything." He said after she was all covered and comfortable in the bed. "You in any pain?"

"No, I'm okay" She said honestly "Thank you Jack…"

"Its no problem." He said sincerely. "Now get some sleep. And don't worry about waking up tomorrow"

"Night"

* * *

Bacon. That's what she woke to the smell of. Bacon? She asked herself…she didn't have any bacon…

Suddenly the events of last night came rushing back to her. "Oh god" She groaned to herself. Her attending, her boss, had to save her from her murderous ex boyfriend? How was she ever going to live this down?

Slowly, she slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Pushing her hair back from her head, she grimaced at the small cuts that covered it and sighed. _Well Kate…you've done it again_

She winced while the warm water hit her all too fresh wounds and tried to be as quick as possible. Seeing a pair of clothes on the chair in front of the bed she smiled, this man really did think of everything.

"Hey" she said managing a small smile as she walked out of her room, seeing his back turned to her as he cooked breakfast.

Jack smiled "Hi" he said "hungry?"

Kate nodded, pulling out a stool at the counter and sitting down. "Starving"

"Well…don't expect anything fancy but I think I can make a pretty decent omelet" he chuckled

"Sounds perfect" She said quietly

"Clothes fit okay?" he asked, dumping the contents in the pan onto a plate before bringing it to her

"Cheese?" she asked after taking a bite, making her lips quirk upwards into a smile

Jack nodded "Not a cheese fan?" he grimaced

"Oh the exact opposite" she grinned "I love cheese"

"Good" he sighed in relief while starting to make him one.

"You're not going into work today?" she asked incredulously

Jack shook his head "Lucky for you I didn't have much scheduled today" he stated "One of the perks of being the boss…"

"Jack…" Kate protested "This is weird"

"Your point" he asked

"I don't know…you should go to work"

"Why?" he asked

"Because we don't even know each other! Why are you skipping work for me?" She exclaimed

"Because I'm not a dick Kate" he chuckled "And where are you gonna go?"

"Home" she said obviously

Rolling his eyes he dumped the contents of the now cooked eggs onto another plate for himself before walking towards the counter she was sitting at. "I thought we agreed yesterday psycho abusive ex boyfriends were bad"

Kate glared "they are" She said shortly "But I have to go home sometime"

"Not until we figure out what the fuck is going on your not!" He exclaimed

"You can't tell me what to do Jack" she stated defiantly

Jack smirked "No. but I can call the police like I should have" he said

Kate frowned. He was right. "Jack…"

"No Kate" he said annoyed "Don't be ridiculous"

"Fine" She muttered "I'm not going out like this. I need my makeup and stuff"

"I'll send someone to get it" he said seriously "I don't want you going back there Kate…not yet"

Kate remained silent, her eyes still locked with his. "You promise?" he asked with a petulant smile

Kate rolled her eyes ad nodded "Fine"

* * *

"I'm just gonna go out and get some errands done" jack said "Feel free to do whatever you like…"

Kate nodded, not moving from her position on the couch "Bye" she said, sighing in relief when she heard the door slam shut. "Finally" She muttered

Slowly moving, she walked up to the window, moving the curtains just enough to make sure he had left, and once she saw his car slip out of the drive way and zoom down the street she walked over to the phone and dialed a number for a cab.

She knew she shouldn't be doing this. But Sawyer wouldn't be there now would he? And Jack…he would never have to know. All she wanted was her letter. The last letter from her dad. She _needed _it. And her plane. Toms plane. But was it really worth it?

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she ran into the cab that arrived, making sure to lock all the doors and everything before she left…snatching the house key on her way out the door he kept on the counter.

"Well Well Well" She heard a very distinct voice say as soon as she entered her house.

Freezing in her steps, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking up "Sawyer" she stated

"I was wondering when you were gonna come back for this" he smirked, holding up her toy plane.

Kate's eyes darkened. "Give it to me" She demanded

"Now now Freckles" he chuckled darkly "Where the hell have ya been?" he asked roughly grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him

"Sawyer" She seethed, cursing as her voice shook because of the pain she felt when he grabbed her arm

"Aw no Freckles" He grinned sardonically, squeezing her arm harder "I didn't hurt ya too bad yesterday now did I?"

"Just give me the plane Sawyer" she said "And go home"

* * *

"Jack" She tried as he began cleaning her wounds up after sitting her down on the counter

Looking up, he fixed her with a hard look and clenched his jaw "Don't." he stated "Just…don't"

"I feel 3 again" she muttered

Jack looked up and scowled at her, his look basically telling her to shut up. "I'm not really in the mood for this Kate" he snapped angrily "So why don't you spare me whatever excuses you had"

Looking down at herself, he was right. She knew she was being stupid…. "I'm sorry" she said softly

"Yeah" he scoffed under his breath while he started to administer stitches

"How did you know?" she asked quietly after a few moments of silence

"I'm not an idiot Kate" he said annoyed "by the way, I'm gonna need you to stitch me up a little…that jackass got me" he said with no emotion in his voice

"Jack…" Kate whispered shaking her head. This was all her fault. "I'm _so_ sorry" she said, tears in her eyes

"What were you thinking going out with scum like him!" he snapped

"It's complicated"

"Well his right hook got real friendly with my jaw" he said

"I don't know what to say…" she said quietly

"What was so important Kate? What was so important that you had to go back and risk your life to get it?"

"The last letter I ever got from my father…" she whispered, tears finally pouring over onto her cheeks "I'm so sorry Jack. I never meant for this to happen. I didn't want you to get hurt. You can drop me off at a hotel tonight. I'll figure something out, but you don't deserve this" She choked

Jack sighed. Yeah he was angry at her, but could he really drop her off at some local hotel and wash his hands of her? No. it didn't matter who she was….he would never do that to anyone. Finishing up her stitches, he gently pulled her off the counter and carried her to the couch. "Kate" he said "Look at me…hey, calm down and look at me" he coaxed. Shaking his head when she didn't comply he ducked his head into her view "I'm mad. Beyond livid. But that doesn't mean anything. I'll get over it. Eventually" he said honestly "and you…and I" he stressed "Are going to figure out what to do okay? Together"

Kate nodded, trying in vain to stop her tears "Here…I'll fix that" she said, motioning to his cheek that had a small gash on it from Sawyers ring

"Nervous?" he smirked

"About what?"

"You're stitching up your boss…better do a good job" he grinned making her roll her eyes

"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm pretty sure I've mastered sutchering at this point"

"Well it's a good thing I've bumped you up to be my right hand then huh?" he teased

Kate froze "Jack…I don't want you to do me any favors…" She said quietly

Jack rolled his eyes "Only you" he muttered under his breath "It's not a favor Kate. I only have one intern, and I've been following up on you…you do a good job. And honestly I made the change before all of this even happened"

"Stop talking" she scolded with a small smile at his words

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I know its been forever since ANY of my stories have been updated. Espescially my Lost stories :( sorry about that. But here's an update! Lol…anyways I hope you enjoy. Reviews-in any form…constructive criticism, compliments, ideas anything is welcome


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